Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09STATE99089
2009-09-24 02:11:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Secretary of State
Cable title:  

SECRETARY CLINTON'S MEETING WITH ESTONIAN

Tags:  PREL PGOV NATO EAID ENRG MARR AF RS EN 
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DE RUEHC #9089/01 2670231
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O P 240211Z SEP 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHTL/AMEMBASSY TALLINN IMMEDIATE 0237
INFO RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 3576
EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 099089 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/17/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV NATO EAID ENRG MARR AF RS EN
EU, GG, BK
SUBJECT: SECRETARY CLINTON'S MEETING WITH ESTONIAN
FOREIGN MINISTER URMAS PAET, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009, 2:15
P.M., WASHINGTON, D.C.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 099089

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/17/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV NATO EAID ENRG MARR AF RS EN
EU, GG, BK
SUBJECT: SECRETARY CLINTON'S MEETING WITH ESTONIAN
FOREIGN MINISTER URMAS PAET, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009, 2:15
P.M., WASHINGTON, D.C.


1. (U) Classified by EUR Assistant Secretary Nancy
McEldowney, Acting, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


2. (U) September 17, 2009, 2:15 2:45 P.M.,
Washington, D.C.


3. (U) Participants:

U.S.
--------------
The Secretary
EUR DAS Pamela Quanrud
Spokesperson Ian Kelly
NSC Director Will Schlickenmaier
S Staff Joseph Macmanus
EUR/NB Estonia/Finland Desk Officer Miguel Rodrigues
(Notetaker)

Estonia
--------------
Urmas Paet, Foreign Minister
Vaino Reinart, Ambassador
Clyde Kull, MFA Political Director
Mai Jogimaa, Counselor
Kersti Luha, Spokesperson
Jaan Salulaid, Desk Officer
Kyllike Sillaste-Elling, Deputy Chief of Mission


4. (C) Summary: At his first scheduled meeting with
Secretary Clinton, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet
proposed working with the U.S. to develop an Estonian
Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT) for 2011,
stressed the importance of Article 5 and contingency
planning to NATO's new Strategic Concept, advocated for
increased energy links and the new U.S.-EU Energy
Council, and proposed new forms of bilateral and
multilateral cooperation on civilian assistance in
Afghanistan. The Secretary stated that the U.S. is
fully committed to Article 5 and contingency planning,
supported the right of countries to join whichever
alliance they wished, stressed U.S. support for the
integration of energy grids, and praised Estonia's
Center of Excellence for Cyber Security as a model for
the world. She reviewed the outlines of the new U.S.
missile defense policy, and both agreed on the need to
engage Russia to convince the latter that Europe and
NATO pose no threat. The tone of the meeting was warm.
End summary.


5. (SBU) Welcoming Estonian Foreign Minister Paet,

Secretary Clinton expressed appreciation for our
extraordinary cooperation with Estonia. Paet thanked
the Secretary for the excellent communication with the
new Administration, mentioning as examples President
Obama's meeting with President Ilves and Assistant
Secretary Gordon's visit to Tallinn.

Afghanistan
--------------


6. (C) Paet proposed direct bilateral cooperation to
work toward an Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team
(OMLT) for 2011, and he requested a U.S. response. The
Secretary welcomed Estonia's interest, noting that we
very much value Estonia's interest in training the
Afghan army and a functioning police force to secure
that country. (Note: Embassy Tallinn is coordinating
follow up on the OMLT. End note.)

NATO
--------------


7. (C) Paet said he thinks the main topics the new NATO
Strategic Concept should address are Article 5,
"political defense," and the link to out-of-area
deployments. He stressed the importance of NATO
visibility, such as having NATO exercises in the Baltic
area, and thanked the Secretary for U.S. participation
in Baltic air policing. Paet observed that President
Obama had mentioned contingency planning at the
Strasbourg Summit. He added that the Balts are clear
about wanting contingency planning addressed in the new
Strategic Concept. The Secretary expressed our full
commitment to contingency planning.

STATE 00099089 002 OF 003


8. (C) The Secretary supported the right of countries to
join whatever alliance they wished and commended Estonia
for sharing its accession experience with Georgia and
Ukraine. She expressed hope that progress could be made
with both countries, noting that Georgia had acted
prudently by not falling into the traps set for them.
She observed the U.S. had spoken out in favor of Russian
troop withdrawal from Georgia and that we are going
forward with planned exercises.


9. (C) Paet observed that Montenegro and Bosnia are
almost ready to get Membership Action Plans (MAP) and
explained that the Bosnian Foreign Minister had told him
Bosnia will request MAP by year-end. The question will
arise, he continued, of how to support Georgia and
Ukraine next. Paet noted that Montenegro is a small
country that will be easy to reform, and he stressed the
importance to move forward with Bosnia because of its
fragility. Paet invited the Secretary to visit Tallinn
for next April's NATO Foreign Ministerial; the Secretary
did not commit.

Energy Security
--------------


10. (C) The Secretary stressed U.S. support for
integration of energy grids, observing that increased
integration diminishes the possibility that energy may
be used as a tool of coercion. She urged Estonia to
incorporate energy security into the ongoing
transatlantic dialogue while oil and gas prices are
down. Paet, observing that sometimes it seems like the
U.S. cares more about European energy security than does
Europe itself, agreed that energy links are important.
He expressed the hope that the U.S.-EU Energy Council
would be set up as soon as possible, and that we will
soon sign our bilateral agreement on S&T Cooperation on
Oil Shale.

Cyber Security
--------------


11. (C) The Secretary commended Estonia's Center of
Excellence for Cyber Security, describing it as a model
for the world. She expressed interest in working with
Estonia on cyber security, given its experience and our
increasing military/security focus on the Internet.
Paet thanked her, noting that Estonia has presented
candidates to lead the EU's information technology
agencies.

Democracy Promotion/Civilian Assistance
--------------


12. (U) The Secretary expressed appreciation that even
in this time of economic crisis, Estonia remains
committed to democracy promotion, especially in Moldova,
where we are beginning to see a turn-around. Paet
observed that Estonia continues with development
projects in Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Afghanistan.
He noted that he will be going to Belarus in October to
upgrade Estonia's mission there to Embassy status.
Citing his country's focus on healthcare in
Afghanistan's Helmand province, Paet proposed projects
on humanitarian/civilian assistance between Estonia, the
U.S. and the Government of Afghanistan.

Missile Defense
--------------


13. (C) Laying out the Administration's new missile
defense policy, the Secretary offered that it: is
different from the previous policy in that it covers all
of Europe and the Caucasus; is more effective against
short and mid-range missiles; is not a one-time deal but
rather follows a phased approach as threats evolve; and
is not a bilateral approach but rather a collective NATO
responsibility which we view as an extension of Article

5. She indicated that the U.S. has told the Russians
that we would welcome their cooperation, since a
nuclear-equipped Iran -- or for that matter any rogue
state -- would pose a threat to Russia as well.


14. (C) Paet responded that the real threat Russia faces
is not from Europe or NATO, but from Muslim extremism to
the south. He expressed concern that Russia, with a
Cold War mentality, is trying to cut off the Baltic
countries by staging huge exercises near their borders,
and dispatching four ships to the Baltic Sea. He noted
that NATO is the proper place for consideration of

STATE 00099089 003 OF 003


Guantanamo Detainees
--------------


15. (C) Paet offered that his country's security
services and the Ministry of the Interior are working to
accommodate the U.S. request to resettle Guantanamo
detainees.

CLINTON
CLINTON